Anyone got BUS grant with no emitters upstairs

[Smallholdertoo]

We have  self build small open plan house with 2 beds and a bathroom upstairs. With the exception of the bathroom which has electric UFH and heated towel rail, there is no heating upstairs and no intention to fit. This was ok when we were ineligible for the BUS. However we are now eligible and would appreciate the £7.5k off the plumbers bill! The  house is airtight (0.56 ACH and MVHR) and well insulated ( -u values .13 walls, .10 roof and .10 floor and triple glazed doors and windows). heating requirement at -9c is 2kw using Jeremy Harris' spreadsheet. We have UFH downstairs all on one zone.

 

We are due to fit a £5kw Vaillant Arotherm with 40l volumizer and 200l direct immersion tank shortly. This should also cope with the hot water side and perhaps some batch heating into the slab overnight using  an off peak tariff..

 

The MCS Electricians/ plumbers are concerned re the lack of emitters upstairs and reporting the demand and heat supply by room when applying to the MCS! They would like some reassurance that others have actually been able to get the BUS when they have no heating upstairs.

 

Any help with this matter would be appreciated. 

 

 

[JohnMo]

If you already have the UFH why are you going MCS route. A direct cylinder excludes you - regs state the DHW has to be heated via the heat pump to get the grant.

 

Upstairs emmitors are not needed as long as the UFH gives enough heat to the house.

49 minutes ago, Smallholdertoo said:

This was ok when we were ineligible for the BUS. However we are now eligible

This is a confusing statement - who said you weren't eligible?

 

Your heat pump needs around 20L per kW at min modulation. So should only need about 40 to 50L in your system. Running a single zone that should be easy to achieve without the volumiser.

 

Not a fan of the MCS fan, many people seem to get royally ripped off. I am using a Haier R290 4kW heat pump (but fiddly setting up for best efficiency) but runs great, £2400 including vat from Wolsey plump centre. Pipes through wall direct to UFH manifold is a simple install add a couple of antifreeze valves and isolation valves plumbing all done (expansion valve and pressure relief in ASHP), comes with the correct strainer to add to the return line.

[Bornagain]

We have UFH downstairs and no heating at all upstairs.

We got the £7500 grant last year when an Aerotherm was installed.

[Smallholdertoo]

9 hours ago, JohnMo said:

f you already have the UFH why are you going MCS route. A direct cylinder excludes you - regs state the DHW has to be heated via the heat pump to get the grant.

@JohnMoMany thanks for your comments and observations

 

I meant UHF pipework installed in slab but no boiler and related  DHW bits yet installed

 

9 hours ago, JohnMo said:

This is a confusing statement - who said you weren't eligible?

Eligibility rules re separate title, Planning condition now removed.

 

10 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Upstairs emmitors are not needed as long as the UFH gives enough heat to the house.

Agreed we just need to persuade MCS!. Heated floor is 70m2 so to provide 2kw a floor temperature only needs to be 24C. 

 

9 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Your heat pump needs around 20L per kW at min modulation. So should only need about 40 to 50L in your system. Running a single zone that should be easy to achieve without the volumiser.

There is approximately 350m of 16mm ufh pipe plus 2x6m of 28mm pipe between plantroom and manifold so water volume before considering the ASHP is approx 45l. Which would be enough for the intended single zone. However, we have allowed for a second zone to enable the office downstairs to be less than 21C and be used as a bedroom when we get more wrinkly!  This just about justifies the volumiser, which I have confirmed with the plumbers will be filled on the UFH return.

[Smallholdertoo]

9 hours ago, Bornagain said:

We have UFH downstairs and no heating at all upstairs.

We got the £7500 grant last year when an Aerotherm was installed.

Many thanks for your response.

Were there any issues with MCS or any additional information that you had to send to them?

 

Cheers

[Bornagain]

5 hours ago, Smallholdertoo said:

Many thanks for your response.

Were there any issues with MCS or any additional information that you had to send to them?

 

Cheers

The submission was done by the Heat Pump installer, the only thing they were concerned about was the design of the UFH, I dug out the original design document which demonstrated that the UFH had much greater capacity than the calculated overall heat demand and they were happy.

They applied for the grant without any drama.